Blues Guitarist Johnny Winter Dies at 70 While On Tour in Europe

When I was little, my friend’s older brother, who had long hair and was kind of reckless, used to listen to Johnny Winter with his older, reckless friends. So of course, we started to listen to Johnny Winter too.

He is sort of harsh at first and an acquired taste but we came to fiercely love his music and claimed him our own. He died yesterday at age 70 in hotel room in Zurich, while touring Europe in support of his new album.

In a recent WSJ story by Marc Myers, Winter said, “My whole life changed overnight—going from playing little clubs to huge concert halls,” referring to a chance walk-on performance in New York in 1968. “I was trying to play the blues like the Mississippi guys, but I had my own thing. I didn’t sound like any other rock guitarists then. My feeling was more intense,” said Winter, who is known for his searing, high-speed style with the guitar.

His playing got the attention of a friend of Clive Davis — then president of Columbia Records — who happened to be in the audience. Davis signed Winter to a lucrative six-album deal shortly thereafter.